Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, January 4
Tampa, Fla.
7:00 P.M.
Temple University
at
South Florida
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
Men’s Basketball Looks to Continue Unbeaten AAC Start at Home Saturday Against Tulane
1.5.23 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Temple will look to extend its unbeaten start to American Athletic Conference play to a record four games when the Owls host the Green Wave of Tulane Saturday. (2 pm/ESPN+/1210 AM WPHT).
The Owls (9-7, 3-0 AAC) tied its best start in AAC play with its third straight win Wednesday at South Florida. The only other season Temple started AAC play with three wins was the 2014-15 season when the Owls defeated UConn, UCF and Tulane before falling to Tulsa. The last Temple team to open conference play with four straight wins was the 2009-10 team that won its first five league games en route to a 14-2 Atlantic 10 Conference record.
Tulane (9-5, 2-1 AAC) has won two straight conference games and is picked to finish fourth in the AAC in the preseason poll, one spot ahead of Temple. The Green Wave lost its league opener at Cincinnati (88-77), its only true road game of the season, before defeating Memphis (96-89) and Tulsa (93-77) in New Orleans.
GAME SPONSOR
> PFCU will be giving away hats to the first 500 fans in attendance.
GAME PROMOTIONS
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Khalif Battle leads the team and ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.1 ppg) and has scored 20 points in a team-best seven games. He also leads the AAC in threes with 47 (2.9 pg) and is tied for 35th nationally.
> Damian Dunn ranks second on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg), assists (2.5) and second in field goal percentage (.438). He tallied a career-high 38 points, the most points by an Owl since 2004, against Vanderbilt. He leads the Owls (tied 24th in NCAA) in free throws made (72).
> Zach Hicks (8.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg), who leads the team in three-point shooting (36-100, .360/8th AAC) and Hysier Miller (8.5 ppg, 4.1 apg/4th AAC) are the only two Owls to start all 16 games.
> Jahlil White (5. 4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), the team's top perimeter defender, had a season high 14 points and career high 16 rebounds in the Owls' win over Cincinnati. In conference play, he is averaging a double-double (11.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) while shooting 14-of-21 (.667) from the field.
> Nick Jourdain (5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg.), who scored a season high 12 points against Cincinnati, has been on fire from the field of late, shooting 29-52 (55.8%) from the field over the last 11 games.
> Kur Jongkuch (1.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg) has started four games in place of injured big man Jamille Reynolds (11.1 ppg/6.3 rpg).
SCOUTING TULANE
> Sophomore guard Jalen Cook, who earned First Team All-AAC honors last season, leads four Tulane double figure scorers, averaging 18.3 points per game, while also topping the squad in assists (4.8 apg).
> Junior guard Jaylen Forbes (17.6 ppg. .500 FG%) tops the team and ranks second in the conference in steals per game (2.3 spg) while also leading the conference in free throw percentage (.909).
> Junior forward Kevin Cross (14.4 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and ranks fifth in the AAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00).
> Sophomore guard Sion James, who leads the AAC in minutes per game (35.9 mpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.56), rounds out the Green Wave double figure scorers while leading the squad in field goal percentage (.510).
> Tulane leads the conference in scoring (80.8 ppg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.55) and ranks second in the nation in free throw percentage (.811). The Green Wave is also second in the AAC in assists (16.1 apg) and turnover margin (+5.00) and third in steals (8.4 spg).
SERIES HISTORY
> This is the 22nd meeting between the teams with Temple holding a 14-7 advantage.
> Tulane took two of the three meetings last season with each team winning on its own court and Tulane defeating Temple in the AAC Quarterfinals.
> The Owls have won six of the nine meetings with the Green Wave in Philadelphia, including the last three.
The Owls (9-7, 3-0 AAC) tied its best start in AAC play with its third straight win Wednesday at South Florida. The only other season Temple started AAC play with three wins was the 2014-15 season when the Owls defeated UConn, UCF and Tulane before falling to Tulsa. The last Temple team to open conference play with four straight wins was the 2009-10 team that won its first five league games en route to a 14-2 Atlantic 10 Conference record.
Tulane (9-5, 2-1 AAC) has won two straight conference games and is picked to finish fourth in the AAC in the preseason poll, one spot ahead of Temple. The Green Wave lost its league opener at Cincinnati (88-77), its only true road game of the season, before defeating Memphis (96-89) and Tulsa (93-77) in New Orleans.
GAME SPONSOR
> PFCU will be giving away hats to the first 500 fans in attendance.
GAME PROMOTIONS
> Student for a Game
> Stars of Honor Recognition at halftime
> PA Lottery Beat the Clock Contest
> Academy Staff Member of the Game
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Khalif Battle leads the team and ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.1 ppg) and has scored 20 points in a team-best seven games. He also leads the AAC in threes with 47 (2.9 pg) and is tied for 35th nationally.
> Damian Dunn ranks second on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg), assists (2.5) and second in field goal percentage (.438). He tallied a career-high 38 points, the most points by an Owl since 2004, against Vanderbilt. He leads the Owls (tied 24th in NCAA) in free throws made (72).
> Zach Hicks (8.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg), who leads the team in three-point shooting (36-100, .360/8th AAC) and Hysier Miller (8.5 ppg, 4.1 apg/4th AAC) are the only two Owls to start all 16 games.
> Jahlil White (5. 4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), the team's top perimeter defender, had a season high 14 points and career high 16 rebounds in the Owls' win over Cincinnati. In conference play, he is averaging a double-double (11.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) while shooting 14-of-21 (.667) from the field.
> Nick Jourdain (5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg.), who scored a season high 12 points against Cincinnati, has been on fire from the field of late, shooting 29-52 (55.8%) from the field over the last 11 games.
> Kur Jongkuch (1.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg) has started four games in place of injured big man Jamille Reynolds (11.1 ppg/6.3 rpg).
SCOUTING TULANE
> Sophomore guard Jalen Cook, who earned First Team All-AAC honors last season, leads four Tulane double figure scorers, averaging 18.3 points per game, while also topping the squad in assists (4.8 apg).
> Junior guard Jaylen Forbes (17.6 ppg. .500 FG%) tops the team and ranks second in the conference in steals per game (2.3 spg) while also leading the conference in free throw percentage (.909).
> Junior forward Kevin Cross (14.4 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and ranks fifth in the AAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00).
> Sophomore guard Sion James, who leads the AAC in minutes per game (35.9 mpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.56), rounds out the Green Wave double figure scorers while leading the squad in field goal percentage (.510).
> Tulane leads the conference in scoring (80.8 ppg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.55) and ranks second in the nation in free throw percentage (.811). The Green Wave is also second in the AAC in assists (16.1 apg) and turnover margin (+5.00) and third in steals (8.4 spg).
SERIES HISTORY
> This is the 22nd meeting between the teams with Temple holding a 14-7 advantage.
> Tulane took two of the three meetings last season with each team winning on its own court and Tulane defeating Temple in the AAC Quarterfinals.
> The Owls have won six of the nine meetings with the Green Wave in Philadelphia, including the last three.
Players Mentioned
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